Swinging scaffold



Aug. 22, 1933. I c, A wE|R 1,923,465

SWINGING SCAFFOLD Filed Aug. 17. 1931 z sheets-Sheet 2 Patented ug. 22', 1933 unirsi' srsrss rArsr orricr;

16 Claims.

This invention relates to that class of swinging' scaliolds for the laying of brick or setting of terra cotta providing the exterior finish or" buildings. Such scaffolds may consister" a seriesrof 5 units extending for the full length of the af.-

jacent wall or completely around the building if the same is spaced from other buildings. rEhe units are individually adjustable toheight but the flooring ci adjacent units is in loose overlapping relation so that the flooring connection between units shall remain unbroken. Each unit is carried by a seriesoi' inner cables and a corresponding series of outer cables, and there is a connection between each cable and unit in the nature of a jack, which through the action of a lever effects elevation of the unit on the cables. lin practice the jacks or pumps as the masons 'usually designate them, or" each unit, are successively operated to change the altitude of that particular unit as the progress of vthe masonry work demands, but no unit is raised enough to break the flooring connection between it and the adjacent units. As at present constructed the oring of the swinging scaifolds is designed to y the material which makes the wall, as well as the masons, and the series of suspending cables and jacks at the inner edge of the scaifolds must be reached around by the masons to lay some of the brick within the particular stretch of his station. rlhis is objectionable as it is attended by some inconvenience, especially if he is laying brick or setting terra cotta of light color, as in such event h is more careful to avoid touching the cable whi b is coated more or less with lubricating oil or grease to protect it from corrosive effects of the weather and to make the operation oi the jacks or the like, more dependable. Another objection is that where the mason is compelled to stand on the flooring upon which his material is supported he is Vrequired to stoop in pi ling up each brick or trowel of mortar to such degree that the work is unduly fatiguing and his speed and efficiency is impaired.

The cables of scaiolds of the character indicated are some' 'mes raised and lowered by winding drums to which. 'the upper ends of the cables are secured, or by winding drums on the scaffold to raise or lower latter by winding the lower ends oi the cables thereon. The three U0 mentioned, by use of jacks for adjusting the scaiiold without winding action of the cables, by

drums from which the cables are suspended,

and by drums on the scaffold, are all old and no I claim is made vto either of such elevating means per se. p

My object broadly stated, is to provide a scaffold oi the character depicted, withan auxiliary or supplemental scaffold, disposed inward of and in a lower plane than the main scaliold, so that the mason shall be able to do his wall building without reaching around any suspending cables,` and without being compelled to bend over to a fatiguing degree, each time hereaches for a brick or mortar, a further advantage of the auxiliary lower platform ilooring being that it is not obstructed by material and in consequence the workmen are in less danger of a fall upon or 01T the scaffold. A further object is to provide an auxiliary ooring for the masons, which retains its horizontal position when the mainscaffold is tilted laterally inward in the progress of ad` justment to raise it to a higher level. Ordinarily such tilting is not sufficient to disturb the masons but might cause a fall if it occurred when a workman was not expecting it and was in an unbalanced position. The successive raising of the ends of each unit `causes a slight endwise tilting of the auxiliary flooring, butthis tilting action is so slight, as to have no unbalancing effect on men or material. k

Anotherobject is to provide direct supporting connections between the inner s'eries'of suspension' cables and the `auxiliary flooring, and to impose the load of the main platform or flooring on the inner seriesoi cables through the intermediary of such connections. A still further object is to provide connections between the two platforms whereby the* inward lateral tilting action vof the main platform shall be limited, and a still further object is to make provision for preventing the fall'of the auxiliaryplatform or the dropping of the inner edge of the main platform in the event a direct support between an inner cable andthe auxiliary platform is broken.

`With the l'objects named in View, the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter described andclairned; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is an end elevationr of a swinging scaffold embodying the invention.

`Figure 2 isa fragmentary plan view of one of the scaffolds. l Figure 3 is an elevational view of the scaiiol as Viewed from a point inward thereof.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line IV-'IV of Figurel.' Figure 5 is a detail perspective view.

`Figure 6 is an end view of a scaliold for wall pointing and clean-up. operation. y

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 and 2 indicate brackets which may be of any conventional or other type'for connection through jacks or other devices for engagement with series of inner and outer suspension cables la andv 2a', so that the scaffold can be adjusted upwardly on the cables by so-called lifting jacks, or be lifted `by cable-suspending winding v drums or Winding drums operable from the scaffold. As

y iron brackets of stepdike or Z form. Said brackauxiliary platform V,inner series of cables.

hereinbefore stated the use of jacks and drums for scaffold adjusting purposes is conventional, and no showing of the jacks or cable-'suspending drums is made. The drum for winding up a cable by an operator on the scaffold is indicated generally in Figure 6, but the jacks and cable-` suspending drums, form no part, per se of my invention. Each bracket 2 is connectedas shown or otherwise to the outer end of a pair of spaced bars 3, it being notedin this connection (see Figure 2), thatvthe cablesand related brackets 2 are spaced from the adjacent outer cables and related brackets several feet apart, the distance' between them usually being approximately seven `feet. The inner brackets and cables are likewise so spaced, and are disposed in transverse alinement with the respective brackets of the outer series, as indicated clearly by Figure. For each unit of a scaffold, there are usually three sets of angle bars '3, and 'y form a support for a .series of boards 4 constituting the main platform,

ets are disposed with their upper arms 6 and lower arms 7 horizontal, their intermediate arms 8 extending obliquely downward and outward from the inner ends of arrns 6 to theouter ends of arms 7. The latter are long enough to project l nearly to the buildingiwall to be surfaced with Vthe previously elevated outer edge of the main platform, the auxiliary platform adjustment accompanying that-of the inner edgeof the main platform because, as hereinafter appears, the directly supported fromthe Obtuse angle shaped strapsill serve.V as braces Y between the rear of bracket and the lower of arms 8, the lower arms of the braces lbe- ;ing bolted at l2 to bracket arms v'1 about midway' the length thereof. rThe horizontal flanges ofV angle bars overlap the corresponding flanges of bracket arms S and rounded bosses 13 on the lat- L ter serve as antifriction contacts vbetween them, and bolts 14 extend through the overlapping flanges and arel equipped with nuts l5 at their lower ends to limit tilting action of the main platform, as indicated by dotted lines FigureV 1.

To form the direct support of Athe Yziuxiliary platform, a substantially J-lshaped rhanger lis attached vat its upper end to each bracket 1 or its equivalent, and extends down between' the front ends of angle bars 3 and the stepshaped brackets,

its lower hook end extending around the outer by the bolts 12.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the outer edge of the main platform and the auxiliary platform are respectively directly supported by the cables, but that the inner edge of the former is supported indirectly by the inner cables, through the intermediary of the hangers and the step-shaped brackets, and the fact that the inner part of the platform is 4pivoted to the stepshaped brackets peri the scaffold to be raised or lowered without imparting tilting action to the auxiliary platform. A horizontal U-bolt 18 bridges the space between each pair of stepshaped brackets and is secured at its ends tothe latter. 1t stands in front or at the opposite side of the respective hanger rorn the pivot 5 and thus prevents appreciable swaying of the hanger toward or from the building wall.

In the event a hook of a scaffold or scaold runit should break below the point of its support from the respective cable, all the weight of part ofthe auxiliary platforzn'would be imposed on the respective step-shaped brackets. It is desirable therefore to provide a safety catch to substitute for a hanger broken as suggested, although it is apparent that if there are three or more *inner cables for each unit, as customary, the

failure of one hanger as a support would not result in such unit swinging down at its inner edge to a dangerous or even noticeable extent, as the v full load would be instantly assumed by the other hangers. The use cf a safety catch is however desirable,'especially at the ends of the unit. The safety` catch provided consists Vof a pair of plates 19 pivoted a' 2G to the upper part of the hanger or the connection thereof with the cable, and ex tending diagonally downward and outward between the angle bars and equipped at the lower ends with a cross piece or bolt 2l, underlying said angle bars and the arms 6 of the step-shaped brackets, the arrangement being such that if the hanger breaks below the point of attachment of the plates i9, the'downward movement or sagging of the inner part of the unit will be instantly arrested by the plates, which thus take up thevweight of the load on the broken hanger.

The main platform is preferably equipped with a guard yboard 22 to prevent bricks, tools and the like sliding over the outer edge, and such platforms are also equipped with a guard railing and a wire netting extei f doivn from the guard 'railing to the outer edge of the platform or to and the space between said .board and the inner edge of the'main pla `rm preferably closed with wire fabric. The railing for the maink platu form and wire fabric for both platforms is omitted as the use on thc 'former is old and would be obvious for application on the auxiliary platform.

For what is calle-'i -ean-up work, such as pointing-up, sand tucking, scrubbing, etc., the weight of materials and equipment used will not be great and the outer series of cables, bars 3, main plD orin the safety catches can be dispensed with to advantage as the entire weight remaining can be safely sustained byr the single inner series of cables. n lreliminary to the take-down of adjacent sets of bars 3, the respective pivot pin 5 therefor, must be removed. The pin is replaced in the brackets after the bars are withdrawn, so that it shall in a position to abut the outer edge of 'the hanger 16 interposed between said pin and the cross-bolt 18, disposed inward of the hanger. Arranged as explained, the pin 5 functions no longer as a pivot, but still retains its function as aVstop-pin tocheck tilting movement in one direction, of the auxiliary platform supporting brackets fulcrurned on the lower andunderlying ends of the hangers. Byreference to Figure 6, it will be seen that downward movement of the inner edge of platform l0 is checked by abutment of pin 5 against the outer edge of the hanger, and that any tendency of the outer edge of said platform to move downward is checked by the bolt it abutting the inner edge of said hanger.

To avoid the inconvenience of using platform 10 to support sand blast pipes, buckets, tools and the like, it is desirable to provide a narrow platform on the arms 6 of the Z brackets, such platform being represented by one of the boards 4, and to guard against accidental dislodgement of said board and to assist in preventing lateral tilting of the platform if), each unit may be equipped with standards secured to the outer ends of arms 6 of said brackets and arched forward and attached at theirV upper ends vto the respective cables, and these arched standards for greater security may be connected near the cables by upright braces 26 to the step-shaped brackets near the inner edge of the shelf, as shown by Figure 6. By this arrangement there will be additional security against downward and inward tilting of the auxiliary platform, as any tendency in that direction will be resisted by application of inward lateral pressure on the cables by the upper ends of the arched standards.

Scaffolds of the general character' referred to herein for wall erection or clean-up purposes, are flexible and are either pumped up on the cables or the latter are wound on drums (see Figure 6), as required to keep the masonsat the most convenient height to work on the building wall. The conventional single platform type as hereinbefore stated, carries the entire load of material used in the erection of the wall facing as well as the masons, as distinguished from the scaffold of this invention provided with an auxiliary platform at a lower level and inward of the suspending cables` to give the workmen more convenient access to the building wall, in addition to the other features of advantage pointed out in the statement of objects of the invention. The type described as for use in clean-up operations represents merely, in its essential features, a sub-combination of the double-platform, with the addition in Figure 6,.of added parts to insure greater stabilization and safety in use.

While I have described and illustrated the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible of modification within the principle of construction and inode of operation involved and within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:-

l. A swinging scaffold, comprising a main platform and an auxiliary platform at one side of and lower than the main platform, an outer series of vertical cables supporting the outer edge of the main platform, an inner series of vertical cables in approximately the plane of the inner edge of the main platform, a series of hangers supported from the inner cables and underlying and supporting the auxiliary platform, and brackets underlying both platforms and pivotally connected to the main platform.

2. A swinging scaffold, comprising a main platform and an auxiliary platform at one side of and lower than the main' platform, anouter series of vertical cables supporting the outer edge of the main platform, an inner series of vertical cables in approximately the plane of the inner edge of the main platform, a series of hangers supported from the 'inner cables and underlying and supporting the auxiliary'platform, brackets underlying both platforms and pivotally connected to the main platform, and means connecting the brackets and main platform outward of the pivotal connection thereof to limit tilting adjustment of said platform relative to said brackets.

.3. A swinging scaffold, comprising a main platform and an auxiliary platform at one side of and lower than the main platform, an outer series of vertical cables supportingl the outer edge of the main platform, an inner series `of vertical cables iii-approximately the plane ofthe inner edge of the main platform, a series of hangerssupported from the inner cables and underlying and supporting the auxiliary platform, brackets underlying both platforms and pivotally connected to the main platform, and means for transferring support from an inner cable to the inner part of the main platform in the event of loss of support by the respective hanger` fromsaid cable.

4. A swinging scaffold, comprising a main platform and an auxiliary platform at one side of and lower than the main platform, an outer seriesof vertical supporting the outer edge of the main platform, an inner series of vertical cables .in approximately the plane of the inner edge of the main platform, a series of hangers supported from the innercables and underlying and supporting the auxiliary platform, brackets Yunderlying both. platforms and pivotally connected to the main platform, and a safety catch supported from each inner cable and underlying the inner part of the main platform.

5. A swinging scaffold, comprising a main platform and an auxiliary platform at one side of 'and lower than the main platform, an outer series of vertical `cables supporting the outer main platform, an inner series of t tical cables in approximately the plane of the inner edge of the main platform, a series of hangers supported from the inner cables andr underlying and supporting the auxiliary platform, brackets underlying both platforms and pivotally connected to the main platform, and a safety catch suspended from the respective cable and extending downward and underlying the main platform and a part of thev adjacent bracket.

6. A swinging scaffold comprising a series of pairs of cross-bars, a platform resting on and spanning the spaces between adjacent pairs of said bars, a suspension cable for the outer ends of each pair of bars, pairs of brackets pivoted edge of the to and near the inner ends of said pairs of bars Y and depending therefrom and projecting inwardly relative thereto in a lower plane, an auxiliary platform upon the said inwardly projecting portions of said brackets, a series of hangers underlying the auxiliary platform Aand connected to the adjacent brackets, `and a series of suspension cables affording support to said hangers.

7. A swinging scaffold comprising a series of pairs rof cross-bars, a platform resting on and spanning the spaces between said bars, a series of suspension cables for theouter ends of said bars, pairs of 'brackets pivoted to and near the inner ends of said pairs of bars and depending therea lower plane, an auxiliary .platform upon the said inwardly projecting portions of said brackets, a series of hangers underlying the auxiliary platform and disposed adjacent and connected at their lower endsY to said brackets, a series of suspension cables affording support to said hangers, and means for preventing the hangers and brackets from independently swinging freely in a direction transversely of the platforms. y

8. A swinging scaffold comprising a series of pairs of cross-bars, a platform resting on and spanning the spaces between' said bars, a series of yfrom independently swinging freely in a direction transversely of the platforms, and means supported from the inner cables and extending downward between the adjacent bars of the pairs of angle bars and between the brackets composing the adjacent pairs thereof, and provided with cross-pinsr underlying said adjacent pairs of angle bars and brackets in a plane outward of the plane of the series of inner cables.

9. A swinging scaffold, comprising a series of hanging cables spaced from a wall, a platform for abutting the walla series of hangers for underlying the platform and supported from the respectivev cables, a series of step-shaped brackets adjacent the respective hangers and underlying and supporting the platform and secured to the lower ends of said hangers, and means to retain the brackets and platform in substantially fixed relation to the hangers.

l0. A swinging scaffold, comprising a series of hanging cables spaced from a wall, a platform'for abutting the wall, a series ofhangers forunderlying the platform and supported from the respective cables, a series of step-shaped brackets adjacent therespective hangers and underlying and supporting the platform and secured to the lower ends of said hangers, means to retain the brackets and platform in substantially fixed relation to the hangers, and a shelf upon the brackets outward of the hangers.

11. A swinging scaffold, comprising a series oi hanging cables spaced from a wall, a platform for abutting the wall, a series of hangers for underlying the platform and supported from the respective cables, a series of step-shaped brackets vadjacent the respective hangers and underlying and supporting the platform and secured to the lower ends of the hangers, means tok retain the brackets in substantially Xed relation to the hangerarand standards secured at their lower ends to the outer ends of the brackets and at their upper ends to the respective cables above the hangers.

l2. A swinging scaffold, comprising a series of hanging cables spaced from a wall, a platform for abutting the wall, a series of hangers for underlying the platform and supported from the respective cablesa series of step-shaped brackets adjacent .the respective hangers and underlying Y from and projecting inwardly relative thereto in and supporting the platform and secured to the lower ends of the hangers, means to retain the brackets in substantially fixed relation to the hangers, standards secured at their lower ends to the outer ends of the brackets and at their upper ends to the respective cables above the hangers, and upright Vbraces connected at their .of the pairs of brackets and pendently supported :from said cables and at their lower ends underlying said platform and secured tosaid brackets, and means .secured to the pairs of brackets and disposed to check independent inward and outward swinging movement of said hangers and brackets.

14.' In a swinging scaffold, a series of verticallydisposed pairs of step-shaped brackets, a platform spanning the spaces between a plurality of pairs of the brackets and resting upon the arms thereof constituting the lower tread portions, a shelf upon the upper tread portions of the brackets, suspension cables in approximately the plane .of the riser lportions of the step-shaped brackets, J-shaped hangers disposed between the members `of the pairs of bracketsand pendently supported from l said cables and at their lower ends underlying said platform and secured to said brackets, means secured to the pairs of brackets and disposed to check independent inward and outward swinging movement of said hangers and brackets, and standards connecting the outer ends of the upper tread porti-ons of said brackets with said cables inv a horizontal plane above thatrof the hangers.

15. In a swinging scaffold, a series of verticallydisposed pairs of step-shaped brackets, a platform resting on the lower tread portions of a plurality of pairs of the brackets, suspension cables, J-

cables and each disposed adjacent one pair of the brackets and underlying the platform and secured below the latter to the adjacent pair of brackets, and means for preventing independent 'swinging movementy of the brackets and hangers.

16. A swinging scaffold comprising a series of "pairs of cross-bars, a platform resting on a plurality of the pairs of cross-bars, a suspension cable connected to the router portions of each pair of said cross-bars, a pair of brackets attached to each pair of cross-bars near the inner endsof the latter and depending therefrom and having portions projecting inwardiy relative to and in a lower plane than said pairs of cross-bars, anauxiliary platform resting on the inwardly-projecting portions of yadjacent pairs of said brackets, a series of inner suspension cables, a hanger suspended from each inner cable and at the lower end underlying the auxiliary platform and secured to the inwardly-projecting portions of a pair of said brackets, and safety catches secured to the hangers above plane of the cross-bars and underlying the latter and parts of said brackets.

CHARLES A. WEIR `lower and upper ends-respectively to the respecl shaped hangers pendently supported from the 

